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Don’t forget Andijan

The incredibly bloody crackdown on peaceful protesters —most of them ordinary people including women and children —by the government of President Islam Karimov resulted in several hundreds deaths of innocent people. In fact, human rights groups estimate at least a thousand people might have died in the carnage unleashed by the security forces against their own defenceless people. The week long crackdown drove hundreds of terrified Uzbeks into neighbouring countries like Kyrgyzstan.

Who were these people? The Uzbek regime insists those killed and those being tried for organising the anti-government protests had been ‘terrorists’. However, human rights groups and independent observers dismiss these claims as absurd. The men, women and children who had turned up on the streets of Andijan had nothing to do with extremists or terrorism. Eye witness accounts have confirmed that the demonstrations in the town square had been largely spontaneous and sought government action on growing poverty, corruption and political reforms.

This is why it is hard to fathom why the Uzbek regime acted in the insane fashion it did. What made it go berserk ordering security forces to fire into a peaceful and patient crowd? Apparently, the Karimov regime —a relic of the Soviet era —sought to set an example of zero tolerance for all dissent for all times to come, by shooting down those who dared to speak out against the Stalinist system of governance and policies. How dared they question Comrade Karimov? They had to be taught a lesson. The regime thought it could get away with murder when it attacked its own people. Unfortunately, it has indeed got away with murder.

Nothing has been done so far to bring the killers of innocent men, women and children to justice. In fact, instead of holding to account those responsible for the massacre last May, Uzbekistan has put protesters and relatives of victims in the dock! Feeble protests by the UN, US and Europe have fallen on deaf ears. The Organisation of Islamic Conference, of course, as always chose to ignore the issue altogether.

Yet the international community must not give in to the regime. The least the world can do for Uzbek people is to demand justice for the victims of May madness. And somebody ought to tell Comrade Karimov that the iron curtain is long gone and Soviet Union has been dead for at least 15 years. It’s important to send the message to all authoritarian regimes in Central Asia that no tyrant can do away with murder — especially of his own people.